By Obiabin Onukwugha
The Kogi State Government, has launched the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL), project with an aggressive planting of 17,166 trees to restore about 600 hectres of land in the state.
The state government also launched a climate smart agricultural programme to support 150 farmers with improved maize seedlings for dry season farmers in the three senatorial districts of the state.
Project Coordinator of the ACReSAL, Barr. Ladi Ahmed Jatto, disclosed this at the flag off ceremony of the programme in Kabba, Kabba Bunu local government area of the State, recently.
Jatto said the land management project, which has a life span of six years, has four components, and assured that it will provide a better environment for people in the state to live in.
The project coordinator highlighted the importance of landscape management in agriculture, pointing out that the ACRESAL project in the State has started yielding positive results.
He praised the State Governor, Yahaya Bello for his friendly disposition to the environment.
He also disclosed that the state government has provided 303 clean cooking stoves to 100 women in the Western Senatorial District of State to cushion the over reliance on firewood and stop further release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Ladi further pointed out that the state government installed 21 solar powered boreholes and street lights in some communities, 7 in the Western Senatorial District, with 50 solar powered street lights across the senatorial districts.
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According to him, the project has ameliorated the sufferings of women searching for clean water and relying on boreholes powered by fossil generators.
The project coordinator, who lamented the negative impact of falling down trees, posited that trees help absorb dangerous gases released into the air as well as contribute to soil conservation.
“Trees help in reducing flooding, absorb all bad emissions and help in releasing clean energy. Trees help in healing, which is the reason why the people of Kabba Bunu LGA must embark on aggressive planting of trees,” he said.
The project coordinator further noted that the negative impact of climate change and global warming is a result of activities of man, says tree falling leads to the release of harmful gases into the atmosphere.
In his goodwill message, the Obaro of Kabba, Oba Solomon Owoniyi, described the initiative as timely, and called for the sustainability.
The Traditional Ruler assured that the people of the Community would actively participate in ensuring the safe environment, and urged residents to embrace the aggressive tree planting project.
Speaking, the Kogi State Commissioner for Environment, Omofaiye Victor Adewale, described planting of trees as lifeline of the planet.
The Commissioner who doubles as the Chairman of the tree planting, said the State Government has embraced the policy of discouraging deforestation, and appreciated the support of the World Bank in making the aggressive planting a reality.
Highlights of the occasion was the planting of trees by the Commissioner For Environment, the Obaro of Kabba, students and opinion leaders.
